The Mavericks are really good, the Phoenix Suns have problems | The Athletic NBA Show

The Mavericks are really good, the Phoenix Suns have problems | The Athletic NBA Show

The Mavericks are pretty good that I mean they just that team is really good and they have a guy who can be the best player in any single game against any other team in Luca donic and and he was crazy in this game he had 50 on

Christmas um also 15 assists also four steals also three blocks uh this this was one of the most impressive performances of the year for me yeah I thought he was great you know and and the way look the they built a big lead the Suns came back on them in the third

Quarter it was very easy to see the this Mavs team like go of the rope and instead they kind of pulled it together and I think look Luca having first off a fun center and Derek Lively you know as as a rookie a fun lob threat for him all

The time I think Grant Williams was pretty good for them in terms of spacing the floor and helping with their defense and whatnot and adding a little more toughness to this team I think across the board you know Tim Hardway Jr’s been great I think everybody’s kind of been

Awesome but at the end of the day it all ends it all starts and ends with Luca and he was just flat out amazing in this game yeah um just every single time he wants to score it just seems like he can and there were times where against the

Suns defense Yeah well yeah yeah I mean okay yes what I loved is that they were sending two to the ball and Luca would get the ball back and then still make the pass and get the assist I mean Lively has was really good I’ve SE I’ve watched

Him over the course of the Season get even better uh when teams Zone up after they send two at Luca I don’t know if you noticed this I mean of course you have where he he’s working the nail looking to to to get that pass to find

The shooters and I mean the Mavericks they’re now 18 and 12 I mean this this team is is pretty good I think that they’re built to win in the playoffs too I I love what I love what Lively is doing for them on the glass I love what

He’s doing for them offensively he’s eight of nine in this game I mean this is the first time Luca’s ever had a guy that he could just kind of toss the ball up and say hey go get it for me yeah and I think this is a a fun play for you

Could see him enjoying the way he’s playing right now and there’s a lot of fun with it the other thing with this m Steve that we’re not talking about also is they’re doing this without Kyrie right now when they get Kyrie then they add another scorer another ball handler

Again to take more pressure off of Luca and things like that I think that goes a long way for them I think this is going to be a very interesting team you know I still think they need to work on their defense they still need to add some more

Size defensively I know Jason kids kicking around starting Luca Kyrie and Dante exam I think that might be a bit too small you’re gonna have some issues there defensively but I still think there’s some stuff they can do it’s a very interesting team to keep

An eye on yeah I mean look they just like everybody if they if they could get a three and D Wing like Dorian finny Smith would be perfect for this team I mean if they could just somehow get him back uh I think that it would go a long

Way for them um the Suns on the other hand Mo I mean they’ve got some problems uh Health has not been their best friend this season Bradley Beal has has barely played we have yet to see Beal Booker and Kevin Durant oh they played one they played like 20 minutes

Together yeah yeah but I mean like we yeah is it t is this a bust is this it is this it is it over I don’t know any shot of making this good you know I I don’t know I I don’t want to say that it’s December there’s

Still a lot of basketball season to come together but I think you have to be concerned with the fact that Bradley Beal’s not healthy and this is a back injury that it seems like every time he gets out on the court he he he starts doing stuff and then bam his back locks

Up on him again like this is this is definitely concerning for them and this was a obviously the third part of a trio that was going to help them kind of take that step forward and then also last night no youf nurkic like I think you

Have a lot of stuff there that you got to start kind of worrying about with this team and this is why look when they made the trade and traded DeAndre Aton and we all know I’m not an Aon fan but when they made that trade I told you

Right away take them off my Contender list I just I think they have a lot of issues there and I think they could have gotten more for Aon than what they did and I think they could have been uh better position than what they’re at now and I think now they’re depending on

Guys that have injuries and good luck you know say this Mo I think nurkic has been better there than I expected I would I would say he’s been better than I expected for them and I still don’t like the even going back I don’t like the eight and trade because I didn’t

Think they got enough I didn’t think they got enough pieces guys who were actually going to play for them I mean nir little like sorry like you there’s a chance that you watch too much basketball if you thought that nir little was going to play in Phoenix in a

A pivotal role that he couldn’t get to in Portland somehow you know what I mean like it’s one of these things where it’s too deep of a cut there’s a reason um I just not only like I think the be trade really sunk this team I mean put them in

A bad spot yeah in that I mean listen it didn’t cost them much so like that’s the one thing we can talk about with them but I think at the same he’s got a no trade clause mod well yeah I mean that’s they’re not trading people Dave like

That’s supp realistic with that stuff and I think the I don’t there’s not suitors he’s just not healthy even nobody’s gonna jump at it but I think the big issue for this team is they just don’t have enough time to figure this out you know we talked about it on

Nerder like how much how many games do we need to see these guys fully healthy all of them to feel comfortable with them and it’s just we don’t know what they’re going to be and and you know if they get be and you know towards the end

Of the season they still don’t know the rotations they don’t know the defense that works best for them they don’t know the the right lineups and whatnot it’s a lot of work for vogle to have to figure it out and it’s not enough time to do it

I mean that’s really the concern right now is is the clock’s ticking on them just in the sense of every game passed where they’re not fully healthy is a missed opportunity that they need to build the chemistry and everything that goes into it this isn’t a team that can

Just come in full fully healthy into the playoffs and be like all right we’re ready to roll they don’t know each other they don’t know how to play with each other yet and I think that’s still a lot of problems and we’re even hearing Rumblings from the team that’s what I

Was about to go to next I mean we’re starting to hear that Kevin Durant not necessarily happy you know with the way things have worked out which of course not I mean I wouldn’t be happy either Mo if you know and and that’s without even pointing fingers at anyone you know

Injuries having poor injury luck is bad luck so you shouldn’t be happy with it but feels like some of this is predictable you know the the coverboard was not exactly full you don’t have a whole lot of assets to go and complete a team you know you get this whole the

This huge Beal trade I that’s a lot that’s a lot resting on Bradley Beal yeah and and somebody that’s not known to be healthy like let’s just be honest you know he’s he’s missed a ton of time you know the past few seasons so it’s just a concern

There for them and you know you can’t go back and and and fix those things and those issues but right now they just need to get healthy I mean like there’s there’s a lot of frustration there and I just don’t know what this team is going

To look like you know when they get healthy I don’t even I don’t know if they have a trade move to make but just if they can get healthy I don’t know if they if they got that and what it’s going to look like because I still have

My doubts when it’s fully healthy we got to get some New York Knicks Kevin Durant trade chatter is that is that what we’re destined for I we need it we need something

The Athletic NBA Show discuss the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns.